


Prairie Pinkists

by Jerevinan



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Comedy, Eventual Romance, Multi, Small Town hijinks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2019-10-24 19:58:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17710604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jerevinan/pseuds/Jerevinan
Summary: When Jude arrives as Hamil’s new doctor, he meets the most unusual townspeople. The sheriff and his Chimeriad keep out any riffraff, but that doesn’t stop the local young generation from trying to paint the town… pink?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this western AU in my head for several years now. I've finally started writing it after all this time. I hope it's amusing? Haha.
> 
> Thank you, Lin, Sarah, and Yume, for being my beta readers!

Sunflowers danced in a gust of wind. Outside the train window, the town of Hamil came into view. An orange and pink sunset bathed the wooden homes and surrounding prairie in its glow. Jude’s heartbeat began to speed up as he approached his new home. It might have been beautiful, but he didn’t know anyone there.

Metal grinded as the train slowed. Jude flipped the latches on the window and pushed it up, letting the fresh air into his cabin. Outside, the stalks of sunflowers and corn all blurred as the train rushed past, and he let out a joyful laugh. For a minute, he forgot that he was an adult in his early twenties, about to settle into his clinic in Hamil, and he transformed back into the four-year-old who rode a train for the first time. 

They pulled into the station at a stop. Only a few passengers moved into the corridor with Jude, whose luggage bumped against every person and wall it could find. 

“Sorry, sorry!” Jude skirted around a couple, lifting his suitcase over his head. He hadn’t packed more than a few necessities and important items. The rest would be delivered. If his stay in Hamil didn’t end abruptly for any reason. 

The mayor waited for him near a bench. Cline Sharil noticed him and waved, and a young woman beside him joined in.

“You’re Doctor Jude Mathis, right?” asked Cline, taking Jude’s free hand as soon as he lowered his luggage to one side. “You’re the only one with a lab coat coming off the train, so I hope I’m right. I’m Cline Sharil.”

“Pleased to meet you, sir,” said Jude. He turned to the woman beside him and shook her hand next. “Ma’am.”

“This is my sister, Driselle Sharil.” 

Jude had heard a great deal of positive things about the Sharil family. Both siblings were extroverted and compassionate, well liked not just by the people in Hamil, but throughout the countryside.

“Do you want to rest for the night, or would you like a tour of the town?” asked Cline as he gestured toward the exit of the station.

After hours spent in a train—no matter how much Jude loved them—a good walk sounded wonderful to his stiff legs and feet.

“I’ll take the tour. But can I drop off my suitcase?” Jude held the bulky luggage up in front of him.

“Oh, of course! I’ll lead the way. It isn’t far—this isn’t a big town.”

The ‘town’ was more like a few blocks of downtown area, with roads leading out to the distant homesteads. Some of the buildings were made of bricks, others of wood. It did not differ all that much from Leronde, where Jude grew up, but it was worlds away from the city of Fennmont, where he had spent the past few years studying and practicing medicine.

There were no seaside views or gold mines like in Leronde, but Hamil specialized in growing crops that were shipped all across the country of Rieze Maxia. Its orchards could be seen in the distance, covering miles and miles of hills. A network of bridges connected the high tops of the porange and napple trees. A liquor distillery sat like a brick fortress on one of the hills.

Cline led Jude past a series of shops and down a short street, stopping at the clinic next to the bakery and across the street from a tailoring business. The building had been worn down with weather and age, its brick foundation cracking beneath one of the front windows.

“It’s yours,” said Cline. “It’ll need some new coats of paint and a few repairs…”

“It’s fine, thank you,” said Jude. “I’m more than grateful you went out of your way to give it to me…” 

“There’s some paperwork involved, but you can sign that in the morning, after you’ve had some rest.” Cline held up the keys and delivered them into Jude’s waiting palm.

The lock mechanism worked well, but the door was stiff to open—the chipped paint on the door and its frame had melted together in the summer heat. Jude stepped into the tiny lobby with a desk and two doorways. One led to the back of the building, the other to a hall on the left. Jude only took a brief look around, kicking up dust in his wake. The corridor led to three rooms. The two across the front windows were meant for examinations. Behind the door at the end of the hall was an office with large bookcases and medical files.

Jude returned to the lobby to check the rest of the main floor. A guest bathroom was tucked the corner next to a stairwell. The steps led to his quaint living quarters. The previous doctor had been thrifty and minimalistic, and there weren’t many pieces of furniture. Jude would have to decorate later.

The bed had been made up with fresh linens—likely the doing of one of Cline’s staff. Someone had also swept the floors and dusted off the furniture. Jude set his suitcase on the mattress and took one last look around before heading back down to the lobby. 

Cline and Driselle were waiting for him on the porch of his new business and home when he stepped outside.

“What do you think?” asked Cline, who couldn’t disguise the uncertainty in his voice despite his friendly smile.

“I’ll make it a home. It’s a nice start.”

“Thank you,” said Driselle, taking Jude’s hands in hers. “We’re so grateful to you!”

“I’m the one who should be grateful. You’ve been so kind to me.”

“We’re hospitable people,” said Cline, laughing and prying his sister away from Jude. “But it’s true we’re pleased to have you here. This place has been without a doctor for several months. It hasn’t been easy dealing with anyone’s illnesses or injuries. We’ve had to ride people over to the next town on horseback…”

“I hope I can ease that burden.” Jude bowed slightly.

“I’m sure you will. Now why don’t we take that tour?”

Cline was the physical guide, taking Jude to every important landmark in the city and pointing out the distant farms and who owned them. His sister filled in the details with the best dishes at each restaurant and the personalities of the townspeople. There weren’t many people out and about, though passing by the saloon, Jude heard several voices rise in laughter from the other side of the doors. 

At the entrance to town from the main road, Cline pointed to the Hamil Jail.

“You should meet Sheriff Gaius,” he said. “He’ll want to know you’re here. Besides, he might mistake you as a stranger if he doesn’t meet you first.”

Jude’s stomach did a flip, and he grinned out of nerves rather than delight. The tales of Sheriff Gaius and his ‘Chimeriad’ were known all throughout Rieze Maxia for their crackdown on lawbreakers. Gaius was known for his fairness and toughness, too, having seemed to turn many a criminal into an honest man. That didn’t stop Jude from seeing him as an authority figure with a great deal of power and strength. 

Whatever impressions Jude had of a grizzled old man with guns at his hips were destroyed when he walked into the jail behind Cline and Driselle and was greeted by the sight of a much younger man with a clean-shaven face and beautiful long black hair tied at his neck. He sat, cross-legged, on a mat on the ground. Eyes were closed in what seemed to be peaceful meditation.

“I’ll be with you in a minute,” he said in a deep, rich voice. 

As they waited for him to finish, Jude took a look around. Jail cells—all of which were empty—were lined up along a corridor to the right. The main entranceway served as a lobby or office of sorts, and there were several desks, most of which were unoccupied. Five in total. One for Gaius, four for his staff. 

Gaius stood from his mat. His eyes drifted from Cline and Driselle to Jude. “Welcome to Hamil, you must be Doctor Mathis.”

Jude let out a little noise of surprise and bowed. “Yes, thank you, sir.”

“I’m Gaius, the sheriff. If you have any questions or concerns, you can come to me.”

“We’re all willing to help,” agreed Driselle brightly, clasping her hands in front of her. “Gaius is to thank for keeping order in our little town.” 

Jude stood in awe before Gaius, and it was little wonder that the local sheriff had been able to convert wrongdoers to the path of good while he bested true criminals in combat. The sword mounted on the wall behind the desk spoke volumes about his methods. Gaius and Cline did not appear to run their town the way Jude had assumed.

“Our people will be even safer with a doctor to look after their health,” said Gaius, staring at Jude with an intense…approval? 

“I’ll do my best,” assured Jude. 

What better way to come to a town than to offer service to its people? Their eternal gratitude would make it much better for Jude to integrate with the locals. Not that he’d had many problems in Fennmont, but at Talim Medical School, some of the students were jealous of his accomplishments as valedictorian. And he’d left behind childhood bullies in Leronde. It overwhelmed him that he would be met with anything more than cordial greetings when moving to Hamil.

He could only hope that all the residents were as friendly as the Sharil siblings and Gaius.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another thanks to my beta readers for helping me with this! <3

Sunrise was announced by the noise of roosters in the distance. Jude pressed a pillow over his head and groaned. After a night of tossing and turning, couldn’t he have been given an extra hour of rest?

It took him a few minutes to crawl out of bed and prepare for the day. He buttered toast and sipped on coffee. But what was he getting ready for? He had a list started in his head, but it overwhelmed him to think about all the work he had ahead. It wouldn’t be long before patients started pouring in. Cline had told everyone to give the doctor a week to settle in, but if there were any emergencies, Jude didn’t expect them to wait.

The clinic was a foul mess. Once the property was signed over to him, he would be free to clean it. If anyone insisted on meeting him, they would have to tolerate his company while he scrubbed his new business clean.

The previous doctor at least understood the need for organization. Only after his death had his practice fallen to disrepair. Mice had chewed a hole in the downstairs bathroom wall. Dust settled over every surface, thick enough that one swipe of a single surface with Jude’s palm turned his skin grayish brown. Many of the medicines were expired. Tools would need replacing, though Cline had reassured Jude that he had new ones being delivered that week.

After tidying up, Jude left the house. Wagons and horses were out on the roads, and most people paused to assess him. He waved and nodded his head at them.

“Are you the new doctor?” asked a blond man with spectacles, reigning his horse to a stop next to Jude.

“Yes, I’m Doctor Jude Mathis, pleased to meet you.”

The man tipped his hat. “Julius Kresnik. Nice to meet you, I hope you like Hamil.”

“It’s nice so far.”

The man smiled before nudging his horse forward with his boot. Before long, the horse took off at a run down the road out of town.

The Sharil residence had been part of the tour the evening before, and Jude found it again easily enough. The outside was grand, with a green lawn and gardens filled with dozens of species of pink flowers. The white front doors were tall and wide, with a silver knocker. Jude gave it a couple of nervous taps.

An older gentleman opened the door in a stately manner and bowed to him. “Welcome to the Sharil residence,” he said in a voice as refined as the nobles in Fennmont. But his dress suggested he was no more than a butler. “You must be Doctor Mathis. Please come in.”

“Thank you.” Jude stepped into the large foyer. A stairway ahead led up to a landing that divided and swept around the sides of the house. A chandelier made of silver and crystal was fastened from the ceiling by a thick and sturdy chain, but the tall front windows of the manor let in enough natural light in the daytime. All of the furniture upholstery, draperies, and carpets were soft pink.

Driselle hopped over from a seating area to the left of the home. “I’ll let my brother know you’re here!”

“My lady, let me inform Master Cline of our guest.” The butler bowed at her.

“Oh, Rowen, thank you! I’ll have a chat with Jude while you summon him.” Driselle turned to Jude and beamed. “This works out perfectly. I have a gift basket for you!”

“A gift basket? Oh, no, I couldn’t—you’ve already done so much—”

Driselle didn’t appear to be listening. She snatched up his hand and led him to her sitting area. She’d been having tea before his arrival. Cakes and cookies sat out on a tiered tray, a tea set beside them. And on one of the side tables was a large basket, big enough that Jude dreaded having to carry it home. It was covered in some kind of paper wrapping to disguise the contents.

Driselle grasped the handle, which crinkled the paper over it, and gestured for Jude to sit down on one of the sofas. He obeyed. The basket was placed on the empty spot beside him.

“It’s a little welcoming present from my club,” she said.

“Your club?” asked Jude, lifting up the card that was fastened to the base and untying it from the ribbon. He took it out of the envelope.

“Yes, I have a club to keep me busy in the afternoons.” Driselle waved her hand. “There are only a few of us—just some of the girls around town, and a couple of the fellas we talked into joining us.”

“I see.” Jude chuckled and read the card. It didn’t say who had sent it, only a welcoming message. “Thank you so much. How do I thank the others who—”

“I see my sister has monopolized your attentions,” said Cline, having just entered the room. “But I’m afraid you’ll have to open the gift basket at home later. We should see to that paperwork.”

The paperwork involved money, too, though Jude had been given the run-down building at a generous discount due to its age and the town’s desperation. They might have offered it for free if they had to wait another week or two for a doctor, but formalities were formalities, and Jude had a stack of papers to sign the property to his ownership regardless of the cost. What might have been a few thousand gald any other time ended up being only two hundred. For someone who hadn’t been able to save much in the city, the low cost helped. It would give Jude the budget to rebuild the business from scratch and refurnish his new home.

Jude’s arm was sore by the end of it. He could have signed away his life in his sleep, his hand having fallen into the rhythm of giving his signature. The stack of papers—all carefully read before Jude agreed to anything—took Jude into the late morning.

“Would you care to stay for lunch, Doctor Mathis?” asked Rowen as he entered Cline’s office. “I would gladly set out a place for you.”

“Oh, thank you, Rowen, but I should be going.” Jude had been given enough—a home, a business, a gift basket, and even tools that would later arrive that week. He needn’t intrude on the Sharil family’s hospitality longer. “The chore list is piling up, and I’m afraid I only have a week to get it all done.”

“At least take a sandwich with you,” pressed Cline.

“Oh, thank you. I guess I can do that.”

“As you wish.” Rowen bowed before leaving, and he returned a few minutes later with a paper parcel tied with a length of jute cord. A sandwich fit for nobles.

“Thank you, Rowen.” Jude scooped it up, along with the envelope Cline handed him that possessed the proof of ownership of his new property, along with his permission to practice medicine beneath its roof.

“I’ll get your basket from Driselle,” said Rowen. “Do you need any help carrying anything home? It seems you have your hands full already.”

“I would,” said Jude, picking up on how much everyone wanted to help. He understood—that had always been him, everywhere else. It was strange being the one who received the assistance rather than offered it. Cline and Rowen seemed delighted that he had agreed to let Rowen carry some of his belongings home.

Driselle made a fuss about how he should come visit them—threatening to stop by whenever she pleased—as they left the manor. Jude promised to attend one of her dinners while Rowen chuckled and Cline shook his head in amusement.

“I hope we aren’t bothering you too much,” said Rowen as they made their way back down the road.

“Oh, no! Everyone is friendly. I’m afraid I might be the bother.”

“Everyone here has been doing the best they can without a doctor. I’m sure you’ll put many minds at ease, including my own. I’m getting quite old in my years.” Rowen’s delivery was humorous, and despite his obvious age, he seemed to be in good shape. “I need to keep an eye on my high blood pressure.”

“Oh, of course,” said Jude, laughing when Rowen winked at him. “Are you from Hamil?”

“Not originally, no. I’m originally from Rashugal.” Rashugal was the eastern portion of the continent of Rieze Maxia, where Fennmont and Leronde were located.

“I thought so! So am I. I’m from a little island off the coast.”

“Leronde? The mining town?”

“Yes! There’s less mining there these days, though.” One of the mines had been shut down before Jude was born, but a few locals still worked at the other. “They all go to my dad’s clinic and don’t need another doctor right now, which is why I’ve moved out here.”

They approached Jude’s new property. Rowen glanced up at the second floor from the road.

“We are quite grateful you’ve taken the place of Doctor Haus. It means a great deal to us after all these troubling months.”

“You’ve all been so kind. I will do my best as your new town physician.”

Rowen stepped into the lobby and set the basket on the countertop. “Oh my, it’s quite dusty in here. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to clean more than the upstairs before you arrived.”

“Oh, that was you? I appreciate it.”

“Of course. If you need any further—”

“It’s really okay,” said Jude, rubbing his neck and chuckling. “Everyone has already been so generous, and I think cleaning this place and decorating it will help me make it my own. Thank you.”

Rowen bowed. “I’ll see you next week for my appointment.”

Once the butler had taken his leave, Jude found a desk drawer to store his paperwork. A safe would need to be bought later. That would be one of his chores in the next two days—to order one. He set his sandwich on the table and went back downstairs to retrieve the basket.

As he ate, he went through the contents. Driselle had included shampoo and several bars of handmade soaps. Food stuff was included as well. Small bags of rice, flour, and oats, a jar of fresh cookies, as well as a tin of mixed nuts. Lastly, it came with a set of bamboo utensils and a tiny iron frying pan. Just enough for Jude to get started on making his own meals.

The whole thing was too much for him. No one had ever given him a gift basket. Even his parents had never made a fuss out of his birthday, often giving him one or two books or new ink for his studies. Jude sucked in a breath, but he didn’t cry. The best he could do was work hard to show the people of Hamil he was worth all their effort.

~*~

Around mid-afternoon, as Jude was airing out first floor with all the windows and doors wide open, sending swept dust out to the porch, he had his first guest. A man in a brown coat and a soft-looking scarf leaned against the railing around the porch and waved.

“Welcome to Hamil, Doctor Mathis.”

Jude wiped sweat from his brow and smiled. “Thanks.”

“I’m Alvin.”

The name seemed familiar—as if Cline might’ve mentioned it. Oh, right. “You own a farm.”

“That’s right.” Alvin paused. “You do house calls, right?”

“I wouldn’t be much of a doctor if I didn’t.”

“That’s a relief. My mom…” Any mirth in Alvin’s eyes vanished. “She’s mostly bedridden, and I wasn’t sure how I’d bring her in for a check-up. You’re opening next week?”

“That’s the plan.”

“I’d appreciate if you came out to see her. I’ll ride out and pick you up if you want.” He pointed down the main road. “It’s a mile out, across the lane from the Maxwell stables.”

“Once my equipment arrives, I can make the trip,” said Jude. He leaned over his broom, hands cupped at the end and chin on top. “What’s wrong with her?”

Alvin ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, I’m not exactly sure. I took her out of Elympios after my dad died. Some traumatic stuff happened, and I thought it’d be good to move her someplace far away. She’d probably never sit up at all if it wasn’t for my daughter.”

“I see. Will the rest of your family need checkups? Your daughter? Your spouse?”

Alvin let out a laugh. “My spouse? No, I’ve never been married. Elize is adopted.”

Jude felt an odd surge of delight at the news, and he couldn’t place why. “You raise her alone?”

“Yeah. Have you met Jiao? Works for the sheriff?”

Jude shook his head. The name seemed familiar, and if he had worked with Gaius, maybe he was part of the Chimeriad?

“Well, a few years ago, he found Elize after some bandits had gotten to her parents. He might’ve adopted her himself if he hadn’t been traveling around with Gaius at the time, cleaning up Auj Oule.”

“That’s really kind of you to adopt a kid like that.” Jude took up his sweeping again. Chatting might have been nice—it certainly helped him get to know the locals—but he wouldn’t be able to open his doors if he conversed all day. “Why don’t you check in on me in a couple of days, to see if my medical supplies arrive? If they have, you can take me to see your mother?”

Alvin tipped his hat. “Thank you, Doc. By the way, I didn’t catch your first name. Everyone’s been calling you Doctor Mathis.”

“Jude.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Jude.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” said Jude with more of a squeak than he had hoped, and Alvin smirked at him in a way that suggested Alvin knew exactly why Jude’s voice had changed.

If Jude kept meeting more attractive locals, he wouldn’t survive the month in Hamil.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a short chapter, because it's mainly to introduce Milla. This story keeps growing on me (and in complexity)... haha.

More people came around to visit Jude the next day. Julius Kresnik brought his brother, sister-in-law, and niece to meet Jude. The younger brother, Ludger, had made him a lasagna with produce from their garden. Elle, the little girl, crinkled her nose whenever tomatoes were mentioned.

“I like cats more than tomatoes,” she said brightly. “Do you like cats, Mister Jude?”

Jude had no good answer without disappointing her. All animals were wonderful, and maybe he did prefer dogs, but only because…

“I’m allergic,” he admitted. “But cats are very cute.”

“I have a cat! His name’s Rollo! If he’s sick, will you treat him?”

“Well, I’m not a vet…”

And Elle wasn’t the only one that seemed to think Jude was a doctor of animals as much as he was a doctor of people. A few villagers asked him for tips on their dogs, cats, rappigs, and other assorted livestock. Jude suspected Hamil was as much in need of a veterinarian as it had been a doctor.

Almost all the visitors were generous with food-related gifts. Some of them brought home-churned butter, loaves of bread, pastries, and porange jam. Jude tried to remember their names as he thanked each and every villager. By the end of the evening, he had enough food that some would inevitably be wasted if he couldn’t find anyone to help him eat it.

Fortunately, he had a visitor that didn’t mind joining him at dinner. Sometime in the evening, as Jude was toasting up some bread to go with a square of reheated lasagna, he heard a knock on the door. A a woman with blonde hair cascading down her back in thick locks, a wisp of it dyed green at the top, stood out on his porch with one hand on her hip. Her presence was nothing short of stunning, and Jude had the curious thought that perhaps the most attractive people on earth all flocked to Hamil.

“Hello,” she said, smiling, and there was something assertive and self-assured in her tone. “You must be the new doctor. I’m Milla Maxwell.”

The Maxwell farm—that was across from Alvin’s, wasn’t it? 

“Hi, I’m Jude Mathis.”

“I’m told I should introduce myself, so I came out all this way to meet you. I’m afraid my sister isn’t able to make it.” She straightened up suddenly and her nostrils flared as she inhaled. “What’s that delightful smell?”

“Um, dinner,” said Jude. “Would you like some? I think I have enough to feed a horse.”

“Do you have any idea how much horses eat?” asked Milla, lip twitching upward into a partial smile. “I raise horses. They eat a great deal. I’ll take you up on your offer, but I eat a lot as well.” She took a step into the house as Jude scooted over to let her through. As she wandered in, she tugged at the fingers of her riding gloves. After she pulled them off and had them tucked inside the pocket of her jacket, she added, “Just not as much as a horse.”

Jude let out a little laugh. “It’s a lot of food. I’m afraid it’ll go to waste.”

“People in this town are generous.” She glanced between the doorways. “Where do I go?”

Jude led her up the stairs. Milla made her own way to the kitchen, where she began to dish up and warm a wide array of food. A pleased noise left her lips on the first bite of lasagna. 

“Ludger must have made this,” she said. As she buttered her bread, she peered around at the gifts Jude had been given over the past two days. “All the villagers are excited to have you here, aren’t they?”

“Is Hamil usually like this?”

“Absolutely. Driselle has dragged you into one of her dinners, too, I imagine? I can never worm my way out of them.” 

“Yes, I promised I’d go sometime soon.” Jude had no idea which day he would find time, but Driselle’s threatening to visit unannounced if he didn’t arrive. No doubt she’d drag him if she had to. Those charms of hers couldn’t hide that she had strong arms beneath her shirt sleeves. “She does this to everyone?”

“I’m afraid so.” Milla sighed and bit into her toast. “Muzét—my sister—likes to go.”

“Why couldn’t your sister join you today?” asked Jude cautiously. 

“Muzét had a riding accident a few years ago that damaged her legs, and it’s much harder for her to make it into town with her wheelchair. We agreed I would greet you by myself while she stayed home. I can’t say she’s too happy about it—she likes meeting people.” 

“She’ll meet me soon enough.” If there were any guarantees in life, it was that most people needed a doctor at some point or another. Jude would seek them out if they didn’t at least come in for checkups. There were other reasons he might cross paths with the citizens he hadn’t met yet, too. But if Muzét’s disability was because of an accident, chronic pain often accompanied injuries. Her likeliness of needing a doctor increased simply from that factor.

“Muzét would like it if you came by the house soon,” said Milla. She finished off her lasagna and pointed to the pan with her fork. “May I have more before you put it away?”

“Help yourself.” Jude wouldn’t be able to eat it all before it went to waste, anyway, and he hated having to find a place for it in his icebox. 

“Where are you from?” asked Milla as she returned to the table. “Tell me more about yourself.”

For the next half hour, Jude chatted with Milla, exchanging stories and listening raptly to her in return. Most people had never been interested in hearing about him—not that his life had ever been particularly exciting. It was nice to talk about his childhood friend, Leia, the little details he liked about Leronde, and his years in medical school at Talim in Fennmont.

By the time she left, Jude was relaxed enough that he went straight to bed and slept better than he had in days.


	4. Chapter 4

The day before Jude announced that he would have his clinic doors opened to the public the following week, he found Alvin on his doorstep. Even when Jude offered him a seat in the lobby, Alvin paced the floor instead.

“Would you be willing to see my mom today? She seems worse than usual. Sorry to press you, it’s just…” Alvin cut off, switching to a grin—as if trying to reign in his vulnerability by being flirtatious instead. “Pretty please?”

“Yeah, let me get my medical bag.” Most of Jude’s tools had arrived the day before. Alvin had perfect timing. 

As Jude gathered anything he would need, Alvin poked his head into the exam rooms and the office. “This place is shaping up. Looks good.”

“It took some effort.” 

“Guess it’s a good thing Doctor Haus didn’t leave a lot behind.”

“It helped. He was organized.” All the medical files had been in alphabetical order, and aside from the layers of dust that had gathered, Jude hadn’t been left with much to do. It was all the wildlife that had wandered in after Haus’ death that caused problems. A little bit of patchwork over the mice damage and a thorough cleaning helped rid of most of the insects and rodents. 

Jude snapped closed his medical bag. “I’m ready. Are we walking?”

“No, I’ve borrowed a horse from Milla. Figured I shouldn’t make you walk when I’m pestering you to see my mom earlier than other patients.”

“It’s all right. I’m sure I’ll do plenty of walking when I take other house calls.” 

The horse waited for them on the other side of the walkway running in front of Jude’s porch, its reigns attached to one of the many poles along the street. Alvin hoisted himself up and over the horse’s back. The saddle had an extension for a second rider, and Jude braced himself before he hopped on next. His medical bag awkwardly beat against Alvin’s ribs. 

“Here, let me take that,” said Alvin, and he placed it in front of him, hooking some of the straps attached to the reigns around its handles to keep it in place. “Ready?”

“Yes.” Jude realized too late that his fingertips were squeezing the fabric of Alvin’s coat tightly. 

“Ever ridden a horse before?” 

“Yes and no. I was on a pony when I was small, but I don’t remember it.” Almost everyone in Leronde walked if they could—the town was too small to bother with transportation animals. In Fennmont, horses were more commonly ridden by police officers, and people either traveled on foot or used the tram. “I’m not used to it, sorry.” Jude let out a nervous laugh as the horse beneath them turned and began to trot down the road.

“The Maxwells are good at training horses. Milla only has to give them a look and they’ll behave.”

Jude—against his better judgement—hugged onto Alvin’s back as if his life depended upon it. And he believed it did. Well-trained horse or not, he didn’t trust the animal not to buck him right off. He didn’t need another doctor to replace his position in town because he hit the ground too hard and broke something. With his eyes closed and teeth gritted, he pressed his forehead between Alvin’s shoulder blades.

But as they set a steady trot down the lane, Jude began to relax. The tightness in his jaw disappeared as he opened his eyes to the field of sunflowers on his left and a vast grazing land to his right. The sun wasn’t too bright through the thick clouds, and a gentle breeze—aided by their motion on the horse—tickled through his hair. 

“Feeling better back there?” called Alvin.

“Yeah…” 

The sunflowers swayed in the wind. Many of them had yet to open up, but some were bursting with full colors in bloom—oranges and reds and yellows, so dark and rich that it looked like the field was ablaze. Jude reached out and let his fingers caress the petals. 

“Did you plant these? They’re lovely.”

“Thanks. They hide the rest of my awful farming skills. You’ll see what I mean when we get up closer to the house.”

Alvin was right. His vegetable patch was a tangled, untrimmed mess of attempted horticulture. There had been efforts to tame the beast, but cucumber vines twisted out of control around their trellises and beyond, zucchinis were overgrown to the size of forearms, and the tomatoes weighed down their flimsy cages. 

“You don’t have to stare,” said Alvin, pretending to sound hurt.

“I’m not staring.”

“I may not be able to see you, but I know you’re looking at it, wondering why some city slicker thought he could become a farmer. Don’t worry, Yurgen will whip it all into shape when he gets back from his honeymoon.” 

“Yurgen?” The name didn’t sound familiar despite the days Jude had spent trying to get accustomed to all the locals and memorize the names of the ones he hadn’t yet met.

“Friend of mine. He’s moving into town from Auj Oule to help me with this mess.” Alvin nodded toward the sorry garden. “That’s the good thing about sunflowers. They grow everywhere here, because they’re a local plant. They’re wild and unpredictable, and they just keep coming back, year after year.” He sighed.

“I like them.” 

Alvin let out a short laugh. “Thanks. So does my daughter.” He lowered his voice to a grumble, enough that the wind almost carried it away before Jude could catch what he said next. “And her stupid goat.”

“Goat?”

“ _That_ thing.” 

Jude looked away from the garden and spotted a goat standing on the porch of the house. It was black with brown markings. Alvin stopped the horse in front of the steps.

“Be careful,” said Alvin, handing the medical equipment to Jude after he was safely off the saddle. “He’ll eat anything.” 

Alvin hopped off and began strapping the horse to the railings of the porch. It only took a few minutes before the goat jumped down the steps and rushed over. He wore a pink and purple checkered bandana around his neck. It was in surprisingly pristine condition for being worn by an animal known for eating everything.

“Woah, Teepo! Leave him alone!”

Jude backed away as the goat aimed his teeth at his medical bag. 

“Hurry to the house,” said Alvin. “The door should be unlocked.” He raised his voice. “Elize, are you out here? Can you get Teepo? He’s terrorizing our guest.”

A little girl no older than twelve darted out of the house, her heels clacking against the wood of the porch. 

“Teepo! Come here!” She stopped on the stones leading up to the steps and knelt down. With one palm extended, she offered what looked like a couple of pieces of chopped carrot. “Teepo!”

“You must be Elize,” said Jude as the goat backed off and went to retrieve his treat.

The girl glanced up at Jude in surprise, her cheeks flushed. “Oh, uh…”

“Yes, that’s Elize.” Alvin patted her on the head as he walked by. “Thanks for helping out. I was afraid he’d eat our new doc.”

“He wouldn’t do that! Teepo’s a good goat!”

Jude decided to test this by reaching out to pet Teepo. The goat was transfixed on his carrots and allowed Jude to stroke his fur a minute. Feeling satisfied that he might have formed a bond with the animal, Jude dropped his hand away and hurried after Alvin into the house. Elize followed behind them.

The little home had a similar theme to the Sharil manor. Every bit of upholstery was pink. A rose-colored knitted blanket rested across the back of the settee. The tea set on the table was white with coral and lavender flowers.

“Mom and Elize chose the decorations,” said Alvin, rubbing the back of his head. “The only place they didn’t touch was my room.”

Alvin led Jude past a stairwell to a hall at the back of the house. In a large bed that consumed most of the small room was a petite woman propped against several pillows. Her eyes fluttered open as they entered the room.

“Alfred?” Her tone was cautious but hopeful.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Alvin stepped forward and took her hand. “How are you feeling now? I brought a doctor, and Elize is here, too.”

“Oh, Elize.” The woman brightened considerably and patted the edge of her bed. She turned to Jude. “Elize has a goat and tells me about her wonderful adventures with him.”

“More like all the mischief they find,” grumbled Alvin in a low voice, but if his mother noticed, she didn’t reply.

Jude approached the bed as Elize settled down comfortably on the space designated for her. “Hello, I’m Doctor Jude Mathis. Hello there, uh…”

The woman did not seem to acknowledge him, focusing all her attention on braiding some of Elize’s hair. 

“Leticia,” answered Alvin. “I’m sorry. She’s always happy to have kids around.”

“Is Alfred another child?” asked Jude, remembering the name Leticia first called out when they arrived.

“Kind of. That’s my real name, but I haven’t gone by that in years.” 

Jude’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Why the change?”

“Has to do with moving out of Elympios, that’s all I’m saying on the matter. Only my mom’s allowed to call me that.” 

Jude kept his voice low. “What’s wrong with her, Alvin? I glanced through her file, and Doctor Haus said she wasn’t of…sound mind. In his notes.” The phrasing made Jude grimace.

“She’s just tired and gets confused sometimes. And she doesn’t sleep well. To be honest, he only looked at her once before I dismissed him, and it was one of her bad days. I can’t say I was too nice to the old doc…” Alvin chuckled nervously and ran his fingers through his hair. “I may have chased him out of the house.”

“And let Teepo eat his tie,” piped up Elize.

“What was the point of salvaging it if Teepo already had half of it in his mouth?” Alvin shrugged.

“You shouldn’t let goats eat fabric.” Jude may not have been a vet, but he knew that much.

“I took it away once Haus was gone. Anyway, could you take a look at my mom and not be rude about your conclusions? I’d appreciate it.”

“Sure.” Jude set his medical bag down and began pulling out instruments. “Leticia, are you comfortable if I take your blood pressure, heart beat, and temperature?”

Leticia stared up at him in surprise. “Oh. That’s all right. Alfred, will you please bring me Elize’s ribbons?” Between her fingers, she had the tips of two braided pigtails pinched into place, waiting to be tied off. 

“Sure.” Alvin disappeared out of the room. 

Jude set to work, gathering data—heartbeat, blood pressure, temperature, and all the other assessments. By the end of it, he had a good idea of what ailed Leticia. Elize had thankfully bounded out of the room to go outside and play with her goat, giving Jude a chance to discuss his findings with Alvin first. Leticia had since fallen asleep again.

“Did your mother suffer a traumatic experience?” asked Jude in a quiet voice as he watched her breath.

The skin around Alvin’s jaw went taunt. Gritted teeth. Jude had his answer from that reaction alone.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” said Jude quickly. “She hasn’t always had good health, has she? Heart problems?”

“Yes,” said Alvin, eyes widening in surprise. “When she had me, the labor nearly killed her. That’s why I’m an only child.” He rubbed at his cheek. “I took her out of Elympios because there were… Conflicts. In the family. And that’s all after my dad died—that wasn’t easy for her, either.”

“I see.” Jude tapped his pen against his lip, mildly aware he was leaving a trail of ink along the skin. “She’s been through a lot. That can’t be easy on her heart.”

“No.” An old anger flared within Alvin’s voice, something too painful for him to talk about with the new doctor in town.

“I’m sorry.” The words of sincerity would do little to soothe the burn of whatever had hurt Alvin and his mother, but Jude offered them all the same. “She’s bedridden from anxiety brought on by trauma. It’s difficult for her to leave the house when she doesn’t feel safe. She needs a bit of sunshine and fresh air, but you don’t want to push her. It would help her physical health. There is a medicine I can prescribe to help with the anxiety, along with another that should help with her heart.” Jude jotted something down in Leticia’s file and crossed out a few of Haus’ former notes. “Would that be acceptable?”

“She’ll take medicine,” said Alvin. “I think she wants to get better. Now that she’s not in the city, I thought it would be easier…”

“The location isn’t always what sets off trauma. It could be anything from a clothing item to a scent that triggers her. Unless she tells you, don’t press it.” Jude paused, tapping the pen against his lip more. “Can she walk?”

“Yes, but she doesn’t do it much. To the bathroom and kitchen, sometimes, and I’ll find her wandering the house at night, calling out for me. Well…” Alvin frowned. “For Alfred. Sometimes she forgets I’m not a little boy anymore.”

“She must have fond memories of you as a boy, and she holds onto them as a place of safety and security.”

Alvin dropped into a chair at his mother’s bedside, leaning his head back until it touched the wall behind. “Guess that all makes sense. You didn’t study at the same place as the old doc—he said she was sick in the mind, and I should take her to a hospital. Leave her there.”

“Doctor Haus was quite old when he died,” said Jude carefully. “We’re only now making breakthroughs in how we treat mental health. I’m glad you didn’t take his advice.” While most of the practices in psychiatric hospitals had changed over the years, they were not favorable for long-term living. Too many people abandoned their family members in one, not understanding the importance of visitors and support. 

“Yeah. Thanks, Doc. I appreciate this.” 

“It’s no trouble. If you can find ways to get her out of the house, even if it’s just to your front porch and back to her room, that’s a step. Keep Elize by her side and talk to her about the things she enjoys. Pay attention when she’s distressed. Listen to her.”

“I know. I always do.” 

Jude smiled. “I guessed that already, but it couldn’t hurt to remind you.”

Alvin lifted his head, pulling his gaze from the ceiling. Catching Jude’s eye, he started rubbing at the back of his neck.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Should I do checkups on you while I’m here? And Elize?”

Alvin groaned. “Elize first. Guess while you’re here…” Once he was up from his chair, he narrowed his eyes at Jude and stepped closer. A thumb landed on Jude’s lip, rubbing at the ink. “You have some ink—” 

“I know,” said Jude, turning his head and feeling the itchy prickle of a blush creep across his cheeks. “I tend to do that.”

“Guess I just smeared it more.” Alvin licked his thumb and tried to aim for the ink stain again, but Jude lifted his elbow to counter. By then, Alvin realized what he had done and backed away. “Shit, I’m sorry.” Without any explanation, Alvin rushed out of the room, calling Elize’s name.

Jude lifted a finger to his lips and patted them. When he pulled them away, a little blotch of ink had settled onto the skin of his fingertips. Some professional physician he was, making a clumsy mess of himself. Enough that another man had just tried to parent him by cleaning his face with his own saliva! Jude would never live it down.

But then again, he didn’t think Alvin would, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter makes me laugh so much, I hope others enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. xD


	5. Chapter 5

After returning from examining the whole Vint Svent family, Jude bumped into Driselle in front of the general store on his way home.

He thought it might be coincidence, but he wasn’t so sure when she closed in on him with a cheerful smile that had an air of command to it.

“Why don’t you have dinner with us tonight?” asked Driselle, clasping her hands in front of her. 

It was presented as a question, but everything about her demeanor suggested she might wrestle him into agreement.

When he didn’t answer, she said, “We’re having roasted duck, potato soup, and porange cake. Be there at six!”

She disappeared into the general store with a bounce, and Jude didn’t move for some few minutes before he accepted his fate and began to reschedule his evening plans. Not that he had much to do aside from setting up the exam rooms for the clinic’s opening tomorrow. Upon returning home, he found two letters sitting in his mailbox. Both came from Leronde. The messy handwriting and little drawings on the outside of one envelope told him immediately that one came from Leia, while the other neater one was from his parents. 

Curious to see what Derrick or Ellen might have said, Jude tore into that envelope first. During his years in Fennmont, neither of them had written often. Sometimes Ellen sent him a new shirt for his birthday or invited him home for one of the holidays. 

_Dear Jude,_

_Your dad and I are very proud that you have opened your own clinic in Hamil. We hope to visit you soon and see it. Make sure to take care of yourself. I’ve enclosed two recipes of your favorite childhood meals as a housewarming gift; be sure to fix them soon and stay healthy!_

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad_

The letter was clearly not written with Derrick’s help, but Jude was used to his mother’s correspondence. Not that it wouldn’t have been nice to hear from his father once in a while. Nonetheless, the recipes cheered him up. He took out the cards they were written on and put them in a drawer in the kitchen. After things settled down, he would buy ingredients and try his hand at them.

Next was Leia’s letter, which was several pages long and detailed all of her adventures. Some parts were difficult to read; Leia’s penmanship left much to be desired, and Jude felt like he needed a translator for some of the random abbreviations and terminology she used. 

By the time Jude finished reading it over several times, attempting to make sense of it, he only had two hours to wash up and allow his hair to dry before dinner. Jude styled it carefully afterward and spent a great deal of time critiquing his clothing. The last several days had been too busy to go shopping. 

Jude sighed at his dismal outfits. Once, long ago, he had been a bright-eyed student who bought a whole new wardrobe just for medical school. As time passed, his studies buried him, and his interest in fashion began to wane. During his internships, all that mattered was having enough nice uniforms and something comfortable to lounge in at home.

With his own practice, he didn’t know why he hadn’t thought to look more professional. Aside from two doctor’s coats to switch between while the other was in the wash, he only had two pairs of faded black slacks and four dress shirts that all had been bought second-hand. 

Would Driselle be upset if he arrived with his clothing mostly hidden beneath his white starched coat? How fancy would this dinner be?

“Everyone around here is a farmer, how bad can it be?” he muttered, and he tucked his shirt into his slacks. 

_Worse,_ he realized, when he arrived at the Sharil manor ten minutes later. 

Driselle answered the door in a powdery blue and pink gown wearing pearl earrings. Cline wore a blue suit that matched the blue color in his sister’s dress. Standing next to them, Jude felt like a sack of potatoes and hoped his hosts were the only ones in fancy attire.

Such was not the case. 

Around the table, Gaius and his Chimeriad—sans Agria, she was nowhere to be seen—were seated. They paused in their deep discussion with Rowen to greet the newcomer, and Jude had a chance to take in their outfits. Presa wore a gorgeous blue gown and gloves that covered most of her arms. The gloves alone looked as if they might cost more than everything Jude wore. She looked like an aristocrat from Fennmont. Beside her, Gaius sported a tailored outfit with slacks and an evening jacket, all black and outlined with red fastenings and hems. 

Jiao and Wingul dressed differently from everyone and each other. Both wore their traditional garments from their clans. With his great coat, Jiao looked a little bigger than usual, and they had given him a chair at the end of the table to accommodate his size. 

Rowen stepped over to an empty chair and gestured with one gloved hand for Jude to sit. He took the spot and hoped no one was appraising his clothing critically. Maybe they would all understand that he hadn’t had time to settle into town and buy a whole wardrobe yet. Not that he had much money. Doctors in the country made a living, but not a rich one. 

“How are clinic preparations coming?” asked Gaius, glancing around Presa to make eye contact with Jude, as they were all seated on the same side of the table.

“It’ll be open tomorrow,” said Jude. 

“I’m glad to hear it. Have you met everyone?” Gaius must have known the answer, but he gestured to his comrades nonetheless. 

“They all came by the clinic to say hello earlier this week. Thank you for the warm welcome into town.”

Rowen interrupted everyone to announce that dinner would be served in five minutes. Jude busied himself with unfolding his napkin, trying not to make eye contact. This was his first dinner party. Neither of his parents had ever gone to such events—they were both humble doctors in a town barely larger than Hamil—and Jude never made enough acquaintances in Fennmont to be invited to any. 

Eventually, Jude felt eyes on him and glanced up to meet Presa’s. 

“I hear you’ve been out to Al’s place.”

“Al?” Jude’s throat went dry, and the word barely came out. “Oh, Alvin? Yeah, I visited his family early.”

“How did that go?” asked Driselle, clasping her hands together. “Did you see Ellie? Isn’t Teepo adorable?”

“I, uh…” Jude scratched his chin. ‘Adorable’ was not a word he would have ever used for Teepo.

“You should visit her yourself, Lady Driselle,” suggested Rowen tactfully, winking at Jude. “I’m sure she would appreciate it if you visited.”

“I’ll do just that tomorrow!” 

Everyone wanted to know if Jude needed anything—did he have enough food? Would he need more medical supplies? Did he have enough prescriptions and other pharmaceuticals? 

“You’re all too kind,” said Jude, trying to avoid accepting any offers. Instead, he tried to pivot the topic to the food—whoever had cooked it did a fine job. The duck meat was tender and full of flavor, all the savory sides absolutely splendid. “Did you fix it all, Rowen?”

“I had a little help from Ludger on the recipes,” admitted Rowen, bowing humbly. 

Thankfully, the chatter didn’t direct back to Jude after that. Rowen and Wingul got caught up in discussing a book about warfare tactics they were coauthoring, and several of the others chipped in with their contributions and criticisms. Driselle didn’t say much, but with trained grace, nodded her head and listened attentively to everyone. Jude parroted her actions, occasionally drinking too much to keep himself occupied. Soon, he felt bloated from food and cider. The sound of being home in his pajamas sounded all too inviting, but he didn’t want to leave prematurely.

Fortunately, Cline took notice or had a sense about these things and said quite kindly, “I suppose you should be getting home for your early opening tomorrow. You need all the rest you can get.”

“There’ll be a queue outside your clinic tomorrow,” agreed Presa. “I’ll leave my visit for later in the week, when things have calmed down.”

“Oh, thank you. Yes, I suppose I should get going.” Jude glanced down at his wristwatch—which he had been politely refusing to look at for the entirety of the dinner—and noticed it had gotten a bit later than he’d originally presumed. 

“I’ll send some leftovers of tonight’s dinner home with you,” said Rowen. “You won’t have to worry about preparing breakfast or lunch if I send you back with a couple of sandwiches.” He disappeared into the kitchens, and returned with two parcels much like the one he had put together on Jude’s second day in Hamil. 

Once Driselle had finished fussing over how grateful she was that he had shown up to his party, he was able to make his escape home. He tossed Rowen’s sandwiches into the ice box and undressed, too tired to find his pajamas and opting to sleep in his undershirt and boxers instead.

The next few days would be busy, with everyone seeking his consultations and evaluations. The party had done him one favor, however: He was too exhausted for the anxiousness to keep him awake, and he crashed as soon as he hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a pain to write for some reason, but sometimes you have to cut your losses and move on... I have chapters written past this but kept nitpicking this one. Hopefully it turned out all right. Others should follow this week. :)
> 
> I love the idea of Presa being able to dress up. Agria, however, has not been to a single dinner party, and _no one can make her go_. xD
> 
> My favorite character to write is Driselle, she's soooo much fun!


	6. Chapter 6

Many days following the opening of the clinic, Jude woke up not to roosters but excited shouts outside. After dragging himself out of bed, he shuffled to the window and peeled back the curtain. 

On the street down below, several citizens were gathered around the town bell catty-corner from the clinic. The thick crowd made it hard to see what the commotion was all about. Jude—partially curious but also half-worried someone might have been injured—tugged on his pants as he made his way toward the stairs. His sockless feet felt strange in his shoes, and he was still tucking in his shirt as he crossed the road.

The crowd had gotten bigger since he first glanced out the window. Despite that, everyone easily parted to let him through, and he was able to see what had drawn their attention. The bell’s framework was white last anyone saw it before that morning, but now it was pink. A bright, cheerful color that covered every bit of the former coat. Little flecks of it had splashed onto the bell, too. The air still smelled faintly of the act. 

Gaius and his Chimeriad kept the onlookers back while they surveyed the area for evidence. A good third of the townspeople had gathered, and many of them looked on disapprovingly. Jude recognized most of the faces—there were very few people he hadn’t met yet at that point—and they were frowning and shaking their heads. 

An arm slipped around Jude’s shoulders, and a familiar voice said loudly next to him, “See anything last night, Doc?”

Jude stared at the newest arrival. “Alvin?” 

“The one and only. Well?”

“Well what?”

“Did you see anything? You live over here. Maybe you heard something in the middle of the night?”

Jude shook his head. After cleaning and doing some late-night reading, he dozed at the dining room table before crawling into bed. He’d even forgotten to turn off his lantern, forcing him to get up again before he caused a fire. Whatever might have transpired during the night must have been done quietly and in the darkest hours. Jude snored softly through all of it.

“Guess it’s not that big of a deal,” said Alvin, shrugging. “Probably some kids playing a prank. Maybe they’re just trying to give Gaius something to do—he’s bored these days.”

It did seem like Gaius was putting a lot of effort into his investigation. Jiao even had his dog with him, but the pup didn’t seem interested in helping. She kept wandering over to people in the crowd to earn a few pets and praises. The others three members of Gaius’ team were gathered behind the bell, and from the sounds of it, were discussing whether or not it would be wise to leave the bell pink or paint it back to white.

“It livens up the town,” said Presa. “I would have chosen a darker color, but it’s so easy to see the dirt against the white paint when the wind kicks it up.”

“Definitely would’ve been better with a different color,” agreed Agria. “I say we paint it red.”

“Paint the town red?” teased Presa.

Jude didn’t hear the next suggestion, offered by Wingul. Alvin spoke directly in Jude’s ear and said, “Mind if I ask your help? My daughter’s goat wandered off. The only reason I’m in town this early is to find him.”

“I haven’t eaten yet.” While it was true, Jude used it as more of an excuse; Teepo intimidated him. Spending his morning hunting down the nippy creature even for Elize’s sake didn’t appeal to Jude’s compassions.

“I can start looking while you eat, I just don’t want him to wreck someone else’s field. Milla hasn’t forgotten the last time that happened, or the sixty other times before it.” Alvin slipped his arm away and pointed down the lane. Sighing, he pressed his palm against his temple, fingers curling into his hair. “I need to find Elize, too. If you help me find them, I’ll treat you to breakfast?”

“What kind of breakfast?”

“The kind that makes up for trying to lick the ink off your lips?” Alvin didn’t even bother to sound ashamed, as if he thought the whole incident had been humorous.

Jude shrugged out from under Alvin and frowned. “Until I hire a nurse to help at the clinic, I should stay nearby in case I’m needed. I can help you find Elize, but that’s it.” 

“Good enough for me.”

Jude didn’t wander far from where he couldn’t be seen on the main road. There were a handful of narrow alleyways that broke off along the thoroughfare, and Jude called down those, but otherwise he only poked his head into the establishments and asked some of the townspeople if they had seen the little girl or her goat. If they found one, they would be sure to soon find the other. 

Not even the sweetshop had seen them. Jude circled around twice, asking anyone he hadn’t yet, and keeping his eyes peeled. Most of the people who had sated their curiosity over the bell’s vandalism had dispersed, but the Chimeriad and Cline were still gathered around it.

“Good morning, Jude,” said Cline, waving to him. “How are you? Did you see what happened last night?” Both hands gestured widely at the bell. “This is the most excitement Hamil has had since you moved into town, and it might be one of our first crimes since Gaius took over as sheriff.”

Gaius grunted a noncommittal response as he continued to circle the ‘crime scene’, presumably seeking clues.

“Cline, have you seen Elize or her goat?” asked Jude. “Alvin’s looking for them.”

“I think she’s with Driselle. I don’t know about Teepo. Tell Alvin I’m going to charge him if that goat eats up my garden again.” Jude had never seen Cline wear such a serious expression and had a feeling the threat was serious. (And likely the result of previous encounters with Teepo.)

“Does that…” Jude scratched at his cheek. “That happen often?”

Cline’s mouth went tight. That was as good as any answer. Did every person in and around Hamil have a grievance against Teepo? That goat was lucky Gaius hadn’t built a prison cell to accommodate misbehaving livestock.

“I’ll pass on the message,” said Jude. “I’d better go tell him where Elize is at, too.”

There was more activity on the road as people headed into town to get their errands done for the day. It took a few minutes for Jude to find Alvin the next block over.

“Alvin!”

Alvin looked up hopefully before his face fell. “I guess you didn’t have any luck?”

“Actually…” Jude passed on Cline’s messages, watching as the color drained from Alvin’s face.

“Crap, I bet that’s what that stupid goat is doing right now. At least I know where Elize is, though. Guess I’d better fetch her.”

“Why don’t you put him in a pen?” asked Jude.

Alvin snorted. “Have you met my daughter? If I penned her goat, she’d kick me in the shins. Anyway, I doubt he’d stay in there.”

Jude’s lip twitched as he resisted a smile. Neither of his parents would have ever given him a pet, much less tolerated him allowing it to run around and burden other people. 

“I know I’m a pushover, don’t say it.”

“I didn’t have to. You just did.”

Alvin sighed. “Anyway, I’d better go fetch Elize and give you that breakfast I promised. Where do you want to eat? We’ve got plenty of restaurants to choose from.” He gestured widely down the main road. “The Halure serves good blossom tea and the baked goods are almost better than sex.”

From the prickling sensation across his cheeks and all the way up his ears, Jude knew he must be blushing. No one had ever said something so crass and frank before outside of the college dormitories, and certainly they had never said something like that directly to him.

“The Halure sounds fine,” said Jude. “I should leave a note on my door telling everyone where they can find me. You should go to Elize.”

“Nah, Elize can wait. I’ll go with you first, and we can head to the Sharil manor together.” Alvin grimaced. “I’m sort of dreading what I’ll find there.”

“I think Cline’s serious about charging you for any damages Teepo causes.” 

Alvin followed Jude into the clinic lobby, and Jude hastily scribbled a note to pin to the front of his door. Once everything had been locked up again, they headed off to see what mischief Elize and Teepo had caused. Alvin didn’t appear as nervous as his words implied. He even paused and laughed at the pink on the bell as they passed by it again.

“What a thing to do,” he said, shaking his head. “Feel sorry for the ones who did it, once they’re caught. Probably some bored kids out to tease Gaius. Next thing you know, someone will be tipping cows. The country’s wild.”

“It’s rather harmless to paint it, don’t you think?” said Jude, voicing his thoughts out loud. “Better than bullying animals or people. It looks nice.”

“It won’t after the wind kicks up. And it will, because this is Hamil. Wind and tornadoes.” Alvin pinched up his face in disgust. “My first year here, a tornado took out my chicken coup! I never did get a new one.”

“Maybe you should do that, instead of trying to grow vegetables.”

“I’ll have you know, Yurgen had a good look—and a good laugh—at my garden just yesterday. Says it’s a bit late for us to do anything this year, but he’ll help me next spring.”

The plants would be grateful for a savior, but Jude didn’t add that commentary. “You know, Presa said the same thing about the paint. That it’ll just get dirty once the wind picks up.”

“Ah, Presa?” It didn’t miss Jude’s notice that Alvin hesitated a bit before his next step. “I guess she is investigating the vandalism, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. Do you know her well? She called you ‘Al’ when I was at Driselle’s last week. I don’t think anyone else has.”

“Guess she doesn’t entirely hate me then. We dated years ago, before I moved to Hamil. I was young and impulsive, and I broke the whole thing off.”

“Why?” Presa seemed nice, intelligent, and lovely. “Wait, are you sure she didn’t break it off with you? She outclasses you.”

“You’d be surprised,” muttered Alvin. Before Jude could pursue a new curiosity, Alvin continued. “Let’s just say that I was working through some family issues. Presa’s mostly ignored me since I moved to Hamil.”

Jude had questions, but he didn’t have time to ask any of them. They had reached the Sharil manor, and Alvin inspected each flower bed they passed for damage. Rowen met them at the door and bowed to them.

“They’re in the back,” said Rowen. “You can go around if you like.”

“Yeah, we’ll do that. Teepo here?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, he’s with them.” 

“Ah, thanks, Rowen.”

Rowen disappeared back into the house, and Alvin turned to Jude.

“Let’s go fetch the little lady and her terror pet, and then we can finally get something to eat.” 

Driselle and Elize were kneeling among the trimmed grass out back, plucking out their own flowers and weaving them into little circlets to place on Teepo’s ears. The goat seemed more interested in devouring the gifts bestowed upon him, but at least it looked like Driselle was offering them.

“Driselle!” Alvin waved at her, and both girls looked up. “Your brother threatened me with a bill if that goat ate any flowers.”

“Well, we won’t tell him this time,” said Driselle cheerfully, plopping a little crown onto Teepo’s head. “I’ll say I cut them for the vases inside.”

“Then I’d better get Teepo out of here before Cline sees him.” Alvin pointed at his daughter. “And you. Haven’t we talked about you taking off?”

Elize huffed and crossed her arms. “I wanted to see Driselle.”

“I woke up and you were gone. At least leave a note or something.” By the end of the ‘lecture’, Alvin didn’t sound as fussed as when he started. More like a man resigned to his fate—one led by a mischievous goat.

“I tried to leave a note, but Teepo ate the paper.”

Alvin nodded. “I bet he did. Why was he in the house?”

“He follows me everywhere!” 

Alvin sighed. “Can you get him home? I really don’t want Cline on my case about this damage.” 

Jude peered around at the garden, but it didn’t seem too bad. The girls had only done some trimming and taken the blossoms that needed to be cut, from the looks of it. Not that someone like Alvin, who let his garden overgrow without pruning it, would know anything about that…

Driselle and Elize shared rather devious grins before Elize stood up and led Teepo out of the garden. Maybe they had realized Alvin’s ignorance with flowers and had agreed to stay as quiet as Jude to let the man suffer a little in his lack of knowledge.

“See you later, Ellie!” Driselle waved at them all frantically. “Nice to see you, Alvin, Jude!”

Elize and Teepo headed for home while Alvin and Jude went the opposite direction to the Halure restaurant Alvin had praised earlier. The front of the establishment was wall-to-wall cases of breads and desserts. People were queued up to purchase loaves and pastries, but most of them left with bags; very few people took a seat in the back where little tables were set up around a fake tree, the ceiling comprised of ‘branches’ with pink leaves dangling from them.

“This is lovely,” said Jude. He had yet to eat anywhere but in his own home. He neglected a meal or two sometimes, because he was too tired to eat dinner, but money was tight enough that he hadn’t once considered eating out.

“I take Elize here all the time. She loves the ceiling.” Alvin pointed up. “I’d take my mom, too, if she could handle the trip. We’ll have to work on that.”

“Is she doing better?”

“A little. She’s been joining me in the living room more often. She’s knitting something for you. I guess you left a good impression on her. She didn’t like Haus any more than I did.”

Jude hadn’t realized Leticia noticed him at all, but he didn’t voice his surprise out of respect for Alvin. “That’s sweet of her. She doesn’t need to do that.”

Alvin waved his hand in front of him as if dismissing Jude’s humbleness. “Quit it. You’ve gotta learn to accept things. Besides, it’s good for her to knit, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re doing her a favor as much as she’s doing one for you.” Alvin tipped his head to the side. “Are you getting any rest this week? I heard your clinic was crowded for three days straight.”

“Yeah, some people left and came back the next day…” Jude felt sick even thinking about all the work he’d had to do last week. Things had since calmed down, but people still got hurt and sick every day, and there had been a steady wave of people coming in and out. A few had even returned to address some complaint or another that they’d failed to mention in their first visit. “I hated having to turn anyone away, so I tried to keep the clinic open much later.”

“You wore yourself out.”

“I’ve rested since then.”

The tea and their pastries came, and Jude found extra revitalization in the blossom tea the restaurant was so well-known for. That would help him throughout the day, and it was nice to eat somewhere but alone in his kitchen. Secretly, he had hoped that Milla would have stopped by more often. He’d only been out to the Maxwell farm once, to give the sisters their check-ups, and he’d loved chatting with Milla as much as he enjoyed Alvin’s company. They were completely different people, and Jude had separate reasons for wanting to spend time with them, though. Milla was curious and gave answers as honestly as she asked her questions, while Alvin seemed to only give hints to a rather exceptional past.

“Thank you for breakfast,” said Jude. “I should go out to eat more often.”

“Is that an invitation or an observation?”

“Oh! I mean…” Jude tore his gaze away from Alvin. “I meant it as an observation, but I don’t see why you couldn’t join me sometimes?”

“Sounds good. This is a small town, so don’t be surprised if people drop into the seat across from you and chat you up.”

Jude hadn’t eaten out much in Leronde—not when Leia’s father or his mother had always provided the best meals in the area—and no one had much cared to talk to him in Fennmont when he ate in the school’s cafeteria or the cafés near the campus. Hamil was turning out to be a place where he was not only welcomed, but accepted and loved for who he was, and he didn’t know what to make of that. But he had already figured out he liked the feeling of being well-liked and hoped nothing would change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the first act of pink vandalism! \o/
> 
> Teepo eating the note is absolutely 'the dog ate my homework' here. :P


	7. Chapter 7

The days in Hamil were beginning to chill in the mornings and evenings, and it was just his luck that Jude had found the time and money to buy better clothing to fill his wardrobe with new shirts and sweaters. He had only just pulled on one of his new cardigans when Alvin stepped into his lobby.

“Is your mother all right?” asked Jude, alarmed.

“We’re having a little trouble with getting her out of the house,” admitted Alvin. “She’s only steady on her feet for so long before she tires. I had to carry her back in last night.”

With Leticia’s health, exhaustion would defeat the purpose of getting her the gentle exercise and sunshine she needed—it would send her to the opposite side of the scale. That wouldn’t do at all. 

“Would a wheelchair help?” 

Alvin shrugged. “I don’t suppose you have one lying around?”

“No, I’m afraid not. I’d have to send in an order to have one made, and it could be expensive for you.”

“Money’s not an issue, but time…” Alvin scratched at his chin. “I bet Milla and Muzét have a spare one lying around. Guess I could go ask them.” He eyed Jude. “Don’t suppose you’d come with me?”

“I’ll go,” said Jude. “I should drop off some more pain medication for Muzét while I’m there.” 

“That works out.” Alvin glanced around the lobby. “Is it okay to leave your clinic?”

“Yeah, for a little while—I’ll leave a note on the door like I did last time.” Jude disappeared into his office to sort through his medicine cabinets and count out enough pain medication to last Muzét a few weeks. As he counted out the pills, he raised his voice so Alvin could hear him. “I put out an ad for a secretary or nurse to help around here. Agria thinks she might know someone to fill the position. They’ll be coming in for an interview sometime this week.”

“Someone local?”

Jude gathered up his medical bag as a precaution and began writing out his new note. “No, I think she’s from Fennmont.”

“Is she someone you know?”

Jude couldn’t remember her name, only that he didn’t recognize it when Gaius first relayed Agria’s message to him. “No. I don’t think so.” He lifted his bag up at Alvin to indicate he was ready. “Let’s go.”

Alvin led the way. With no horse, they were forced to walk. It wasn’t a long distance, and Jude appreciated the exercise. The sunflowers had all wilted, leaving behind barren, browning stalks. The leaves of the orchard trees in the distance were paling, on the verge of bursting into autumn colors within the coming days. It would be beautiful. Celebrations would follow, too—Cline had mentioned recently that the town had its own harvest festival. 

“How are your crops?” asked Jude, meaning to be nice as they passed the time on their walk out to Alvin’s farm.

Alvin let out a long groan. “Don’t tease me, Doc.”

“No harvests?”

“I told you about Yurgen’s assessment. Yurgen and Isla—I think you’ve met them?” Jude nodded, allowing Alvin to continue. “They sorted me out on some of what I did wrong. I didn’t know you needed to trim plants for better yields! I thought the more plant there was, the more that would grow!”

Jude laughed, not caring if he sounded rude by doing so. “Everyone knows you should prune plants.”

“I didn’t, but thanks for laughing at me.” Alvin ran his fingers through his hair a few times and then shrugged. “Anyway, I don’t care. It’ll be better in spring.”

“Everyone learns by trial and error. You’ll get the hang of it.”

“And then Teepo’ll eat it all.”

“Yes,” said Jude, grinning. “Good luck, Alvin.”

“I’m gonna need it…” Alvin lowered his voice to a grumble. “Luckily he’s not here right now. Elize is playing with some friends, and they took the goat with them.”

Seeing a porch not guarded by a cantankerous goat gave Jude some relief. The house seemed far too quiet. Being confined to the house must have been hard on Leticia, while her family was out. 

“Does your mother have much to do when she’s by herself?” asked Jude as they made their way into the house. “I know you said she knits, but does she have books to read?”

“She likes those magazines with the short stories, the ones you can get for a couple of gald. I have a subscription for her.”

Jude felt a little better knowing Leticia wasn’t resigned to complete boredom while bedridden. Too often, families abandoned their sick relatives to beds as if they were thoughtless dolls. Jude would need to make sure Leticia had her comforts and needs met—even if her son was trying his best to accommodate her, some things weren’t always addressed. The rest of Jude’s questions, he would direct to Leticia. 

She was sitting up in bed when they entered her room. She set aside a knitting project in a basket.

“Alfred, Doctor…Jude?”

“Doctor Mathis, but you can call me Jude.” Jude smiled at her.

“Alfred always calls you Jude.”

That didn’t come as a surprise to him. Alvin seemed the type to never address anyone formally. 

“How are you feeling?”

They went back and forth, Jude taking note of improvements and changes in her behavior. Leticia seemed far more alert than the last time Jude visited. Her interactions suggested that she had already seen some slight improvements in health.

“Would you be comfortable using a wheelchair to get out?” asked Jude.

“I think…” She glanced at her son apprehensively, and Alvin nodded in encouragement. “As long as Alfred doesn’t mind lugging it around.”

“You know I don’t, Mom. This isn’t about me.”

“Would you be all right on your own for a bit longer if we go over to Milla’s and Muzét’s to ask if they’ve got an old wheelchair lying around?”

Leticia smiled. “Of course. I can do some more knitting while you’re gone, and I have plenty of water right here.” She patted the surface of the bedside table, where a filled glass rested, along with a little plate with bread and butter that hadn’t been touched. 

“All right, see you later, Mom.” Alvin kissed her forehead. “When Elize gets back, let her know if you need anything.”

Jude and Alvin didn’t speak to one another much while they made their way across the road to the Maxwell stables. The main house was a one-story building, a wide wheelchair ramp having replaced the stairs that led up to a large veranda. All the walkways had been carefully paved to make it accessible for Muzét to reach the stables. No one answered the knock on the door, so they poked their head in to find both Muzét and Milla cleaning stalls and replacing the hay. Muzét appeared to serve more as company for the horses, chatting them up and giving them sunflower seeds and bits of fruit. The sisters were in the company of a young man, whose silvery-white hair was tied back as he swept away muck. 

He was the first to notice Alvin and Jude’s entrance.

“Who’re you?” he asked Jude, eyes narrowed.

Milla poked her head out of a stall, and Muzét turned her wheelchair around to face Jude and Alvin.

“Oh, that’s Doctor Mathis,” said Muzét, clapping her hands together. “Haven’t you been to see him, Ivar?”

“I don’t need a doctor right now.” Ivar turned his back on them to retrieve a bale of hay. 

“Did you come to see me?” asked Muzét brightly, and Jude felt a little like a mouse that had just met a restless cat.

“Sort of,” said Jude. “We were wondering if you might have a spare wheelchair Alvin could borrow.”

“Is something wrong with his legs?” asked Milla, and she looked directly at his calves as she spoke. “They seem fine…”

“No, it’s for my mother,” said Alvin. “And if you wanted to see my legs, all you had to do was ask.”

Milla rolled her eyes, but Jude caught a little twitch at the corner of her lips before she turned away quickly. “We have a few chairs, but Muzét uses two of them—one for outside and another for inside. There’s a third, older model, but it’s broken.”

“Maybe I could take a look?” offered Alvin. “If it’s something I can fix, would you let me borrow it? The doc says he’d have to order one for me, and it could take a lot of time and money.”

“You can have it, if you fix it,” said Muzét. “I don’t mind.”

“I agree,” chipped in Milla. She stepped out of the stall and took off her work gloves. “Let me wash up and find a change of clothes. I’m afraid it’s buried at the back of one of the bedrooms, and we’ve let the storage build up.”

“Yes, I think we have it in Daddy’s old room,” said Muzét. 

“Oh, Muzét?” Jude stepped forward and dug around in his medical bag, extracting a pill bottle. He handed it over. “Your refills, for your pain medication.”

“Oh, thank you! You really are the best, Jude.” She batted her eyelashes at him, but he turned away. Something about the oldest Maxwell sister made him feel uneasy. Not that she wasn’t nice, but he suspected she might have taken a liking to him as more than her physician or instead had made it a joke—as if he were prey to catch. It made it difficult, because Jude had found he greatly enjoyed Milla’s company, and he was beginning to like Alvin’s, too, and if either of them were to ask him out on a date… 

But he had no interest in returning Muzét’s flirtations, even if it turned out they were sincere. 

Milla stopped in the doorway of the stable and turned her head. “Ivar, please finish cleaning up in here.”

“Of course, Lady Milla!” The sour Ivar from before had disappeared, replaced with someone eager to please.

“Lady Milla?” repeated Jude.

“Ivar’s their hired help, and he’s got a thing for Milla,” whispered Alvin. “We’ve got competition, but I don’t think Milla’s interested in him. I’d say the two of us have a chance.”

Jude didn’t know how to process any of what Alvin had just told him. Did that mean Alvin had figured out he was interested in Milla? And if he had figured it out, did he also realize Jude liked him as well? And if Ivar were competition, wouldn’t that pit Alvin and Jude against each other?

“Come along, you two,” Muzét called back to them as Milla pushed her chair down the walkway toward the house. “I’ll make tea for us.”

The Maxwell house had a spacious, clean entrance, with large rooms that easily accommodated Muzét’s wheelchair. In the home’s entrance, Muzét swapped from her outdoor wheelchair to her indoor. While Milla disappeared down a corridor to wash up, Muzét led them to the large kitchens. Glass windows lined an entire wall, overlooking a flower garden and the grazing lands, and the fence that divided them. 

Raising horses was a wealthy business, and according to Cline, the Maxwells had been in Hamil for generations. The sisters were the last of the line, their father having passed away some few years ago. 

Muzét had little trouble navigating the kitchen, setting up the kettle, but she let out a pleased noise when Jude—by a habit instilled in him by his parents—began taking down cups from the cupboard. 

“Thank you for bringing me more medication, Jude,” she purred.

“Uh, you’re welcome. Make sure to keep having them with food and water, or you’ll make yourself sick.”

“Well, if I get sick, you’ll come take care of me, won’t you?”

“No, he won’t,” said a stern voice, and they all looked up to see Milla in clean shirt and pants. “I’ll take care of you if you do anything so reckless.”

“Oh, how very frightening!” Muzét’s laughter expressed anything but joy. She turned to their guests. “My sister can be so mean to me.”

“Jude has other patients to worry about.”

“Oh, are you jealous?”

“Isn’t that you?” There was heat behind Milla’s words, and Jude was reminded of his first visit out to the Maxwell farm to see Muzét. The two of them had been quick to bicker, but never violently. 

“Anyway, let’s have some tea and see about that chair, huh?” intercepted Alvin. “I don’t want my mom having to wait too long.”

“Isn’t Elize with her?” asked Milla.

“She’s out playing with her friends for a bit in the field.”

“I hope the goat is locked up.” Milla narrowed her eyes at Alvin. “I caught him around the property again, but the dogs chased him off.”

“You have dogs?” asked Jude, unable to contain his boyish excitement at the prospect of meeting them. Not once had he seen or heard them during his first visit. He was a big fan of dogs, and it helped that he wasn’t allergic to them. 

“Four of them.” Milla nodded toward the windows. “Sometimes you can see them out in the grazing field. They’re guardian dogs, and they’re rather sleepy during the daytime.”

“They’re huge,” explained Alvin. 

“You should consider dogs for your farm, Alvin, especially if you’re keeping livestock. They might keep your animals on your property, too. And off of mine.” The last sentence sounded a little threatening, and Jude suspected she felt not dissimilarly to Cline when it came to the goat that terrorized Hamil. 

Alvin didn’t answer at first, instead lifting his cup to his lips and taking a long drink. A few minutes later, he surprised everyone by saying, “Not really a dog person. I love cats.”

“Cats are also good to have around a farm,” agreed Milla. “Our father used to keep one to deal with the mice, and they’ve been a problem lately. One of my dogs has picked off a few on her own, but it isn’t enough to cull the population.”

“They’re a problem in my clinic, too.” Jude thought of the holes he had patched up. Even then, one would occasionally slip its way in or chew a new path into the house. As the months grew colder, they would be even worse, lured by food and warmth in everyone’s homes.

“Maybe we all should get cats,” suggested Milla.

“I’m allergic.”

“Allergic?” Alvin repeated the word like it was poison. “Damn. That’s rotten luck.”

“I love dogs, though.”

“Cats are way better than dogs.”

“Dogs and cats are both beneficial,” said Milla firmly. 

“And horses,” piped up Muzét. 

“All livestock but goats, we can agree on that, right?” said Alvin, and he was met with hearty murmurs of agreement. 

Maybe all goats really were as bad as Teepo, Jude thought, or they had all gotten so accustomed to Teepo’s behavior that they assumed every goat acted like him.

Once they finished their tea, Alvin was elected as the official lifter to heave all the boxes and furniture out of the path to the wheelchair. Jude and Milla took care of smaller items. With their combined effort, it only took an hour to clear the space needed for Alvin to extract the mobility device from its place against the wall. 

Alvin hauled it into the living room, to examine it under natural light. It was easy to tell that something was wrong with the wheel. It wasn’t a matter of simply tightening a piece with a tool; it would need a replacement part. While Jude had no expertise in wheelchairs, he could immediately tell what was wrong with it.

Alvin merely hummed and tinkered with the device for a few minutes. “I think I know what’ll fix it, if I can haul it back to my workshop. Might take a day or two before I have it working.”

“It’s yours to do with as you please,” said Muzét. “I never liked that one. Daddy got the cheapest model he could afford, and it was never very comfortable.”

The seats were wood and did not appear to be comfortable, unlike the padded ones on Muzét’s current two wheelchairs. It would not suit Leticia long-term. 

“It’s only temporary, until you order one?” asked Jude.

“Mom can pick out her own, but this will work for a couple of weeks.” Alvin glanced up at Milla. “I’ll bring it back once I’m done.”

“No, you can donate it to the clinic afterward,” said Milla. “We have enough junk to sort through in this house—no need to bring that back in. It’ll come in handy for your clinic, right, Jude?”

“Ah, thank you.” Jude did not reject hand-me-downs if it meant benefiting the town. Not that he’d ever been good at rejecting anything; he had a horrible habit as a people-pleaser of going along with whatever made anyone happy. But the wheelchair would come in handy; the one Haus kept around had been tossed out with the rubbish during Jude’s first week of cleaning, it was in such bad shape.

“Thank you for letting my mom have this in the meantime,” said Alvin. “I’ll haul it to Jude’s when the new one is in. If you don’t mind, I’m going to get this over to the workshop and start on it. Jude, could you get the door?”

Jude didn’t get the chance to say much else to Milla, which was something of a disappointment, but Alvin was right to get started on the chair right away. Leticia was one of Jude’s patients; she relied on him to treat her. With a brief bow to the sisters, Jude went to aid Alvin with hauling the wheelchair all the way back to the Svent property. As they were crossing the road, they saw a figure running toward them, dirt kicking up behind him. 

“Who’s that?” asked Alvin, pausing.

“Looks like Ivar.” As the person approached, Jude’s guess was confirmed. Not wanting to deal with the surly helper of the Maxwell stables, Jude continued toward the Svent drive.

Alvin did not follow. “What’s up, Ivar?”

Ivar stopped in front of Alvin, slumping with his palms on his knees. After a dozen deep breaths, he gasped, “Someone changed out all the ink at the town hall!”

Jude and Alvin exchanged bewildered looks. Hamil might have been a small town, but why were they up in a tizzy about ink?

“It’s all been switched out with pink! No one can find an inkwell with black in it.”

“Pink?” Alvin raised an eyebrow. “Weird. That’s the same color that was painted on the town bell.”

“Exactly!” Ivar didn’t offer any further details, instead straightening up and making a beeline for the Maxwell property. 

“Pink?” echoed Jude. 

“It is a popular color, but isn’t that unprofessional? Gaius and Cline aren’t gonna like this.” Alvin laughed. “Finally, someone who’s causing more trouble than my goat. I might get a break for a while.”

“Maybe you’d get a break if you could control where your goat roams,” scolded Jude.

Alvin only snorted. “Guess I’ll have to go into town later, but I owe it to my mom to fix this wheelchair. Thanks for your help today, Jude. Come around more often, will you?”

“I’ll check in on Leticia tomorrow,” Jude promised. 

“Looking forward to it.” 

Alvin sent him off with a wave, and Jude headed back to town. If anyone asked, it was to return to his clinic, but if he were being honest? He couldn’t help but get wrapped up in the excitement of this small town’s oddly innocent color-switching crimes and wanted to see what was happening.


	8. Chapter 8

The fuss around the pink ink had Hamil excited about something. Jude, even as a new resident, had the distinct feeling that some of the townspeople were giddy about it, while others were frozen in horror by the idea that somewhere out there, someone was making life real difficult for folks. It certainly wasn’t just the ink. No, everyone chattered about how all the paperwork had been put in pink envelopes, too, and all the fresh, blank papers were now tinted a light peach color. Such changes were considered absolutely scandalous among the elders of Hamil. 

That day marked a clear change in the mystery of the bell. People were abuzz with the idea that these crimes were linked to a much bigger conspiracy, and more acts of vandalism would continue to happen until someone put a stop to it. Gaius and his Chimeriad were put to the case by the townspeople rather than by any real priority to solve these rather innocent acts of vandalism. Nonetheless, Gaius appeared to take such a duty seriously. His people were dispatched to investigate further incidents.

Jude suspected the criminals were bored. That, or they really liked pink. 

The latter seemed more likely when he woke up a few days later to find a package on his doorstep. The whole thing had been done up in salmon-colored ribbon around rosy paper. 

Jude flipped the flowery-printed tag over and read his name on it. The people of Hamil could be generous, but they typically gifted him in person. No one left anything on his little front deck. Jude brought the parcel into the lobby. It had some weight to it, and whatever was in the box didn’t clatter around. Something soft, maybe?

He carefully removed the tape and unfolded the packaging on one end, sliding out a small garment box. It matched the paper in color. Lifting the lid revealed a cotton candy pink cardigan. A little note was tucked into the neatly folded sweater, right behind a button. Whoever sent it had the foresight to print their message.

Jude read it out loud. “‘Sorry for all the commotion, people of Hamil. As part of our mission to repaint the town to a memorable, cheerful color, we’ve constructed several plans. We mean no harm. Please enjoy your new clothing items.’” 

Did everyone get something from these mysterious pink-lovers? Jude should have tucked everything back in the box and taken it right to Gaius, but he believed the message that these color-enthusiasts meant no harm. 

Jude pulled one arm through a sleeve of his cardigan, and then the next, and was surprised to find it was a perfect fit over his shirt. Having a love for cardigans during his school years, the soft, knitted wool suited him perfectly as the days approached winter.

He took it off immediately after, feeling guilty for warming to a gift sent by obvious criminals. Would the rest of the town be so easily pacified? The note made it clear that the vandalisms were part of a much larger project. There wouldn’t be an end to them for quite some time.

Well, wearing it had been research, right? Whoever knitted or gifted it managed to guess his size, or they knew it down to the length of his arms by exact measurements. 

Jude tucked everything back in the box and then brought it—and everything it had been wrapped in—down the road to Gaius’ police station.

Other people were waiting. Some of them freely sported their new clothing. Many others wore new pink socks, dresses, or hair ribbons. Milla approached the gathering crowd with a shoe box. Inside was a pair of pink boots.

“Did everyone in town receive a present?” she asked Jude. 

“I did. A cardigan.” 

Milla took a moment of observation, and Jude followed the line of her gaze. 

After a bit, she said, “I had a feeling this might be tied to all the vandalisms. It seems I was right.”

“Did Muzét receive something as well?”

“Yes. I had to wrestle it away from her.” Milla reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a small box. She handed it over to Jude. 

He lifted the lid and revealed a hairpin with pink feathers and amethysts.

“Oh, that’s very pretty…”

“Muzét is quite fond of it. I don’t know what Gaius will decide to do with these gifts, but right now, they’re evidence.” Milla parted the tissue around the open shoe box in her arms to better show off the boots. “These are very well made.”

“Did they fit?” asked Jude.

“Fit? No, I didn’t try them on.”

“Try them on now.”

Milla stared at him a minute before sitting down on one of the steps leading up to the police station. The new pair seemed to slip onto her feet and legs easily, and when she stood, it was with a surprised hum.

“I didn’t know anyone but Muzét was aware of my shoe size…” Milla tapped a toe against the baseboards beneath her. “They need broken in, but they’re the right size.”

“There’s no one else that knows your shoe size? You’re sure?” Jude pressed.

“I always go into the city to buy mine,” said Milla firmly. “My father swore by the same shoemaker—their boots last for years.”

How odd that whoever sent the gifts knew what matched everyone. For all the people wearing dresses, none of them showed excessive fabric or tightness around the arms, chest, or waist areas. Trousers were tailored to the perfect leg length.

“They customized everything, down to what we’d prefer,” said Jude. 

“Yes, my sister loves hairpins,” agreed Milla as she knelt down and changed her boots back. “And I’m fond of these boots. They’re just my style.”

Jude tapped at his forehead and gnawed at the corner of his lip. Someone had good insight into their measurements as well as their personalities. Even a newbie into town like himself received a gift to match. He saw patients nearly every day, but who could possibly obtain so much information at once?

No, one person couldn’t do this alone.

The bell couldn’t have easily been painted overnight without help, either, and something like breaking into town hall would require multiple accomplices—lookouts and executers of the crimes. All of this had to be funded, too, suggesting a group of people. The note’s use of “we” and “our” confirmed that as well.

“We’re looking at a group of people behind these incidents,” said Jude. 

Milla smiled at him, placing her free hand on her hip. “You should share your conclusion with Gaius. That’s very perceptive of you, Jude. Now that I think about it, none of these incidents could have been carried out alone. Who would have delivered all the parcels overnight?”

An arm fell over Jude’s shoulder. Instantly, he knew who had joined their company before he saw the pink scarf around Alvin’s neck.

“You’re pretty smart, Jude,” said Alvin. 

“I take it that was your gift.” Milla nodded down at the scarf. “It suits you. I’m surprised.”

“Finally, a compliment from the great Milla Maxwell. It does look good on me, doesn’t it?” Alvin leaned forward, his arm forcing Jude with him. “Oh, that’s a lovely pair of boots! You should put ‘em on.”

“I’m handing them over as evidence. Until Gaius decides what’s to be done, I think we should all refrain from accepting these gifts.”

Jude ran the tip of his finger down the side of the box holding the cardigan. A big part of him wanted to keep it. Someone lovingly knitted it for him, and it would go well with the purple scarf Leticia recently gave him as a present for all his help. 

“Your scarf isn’t knitted,” said Jude, grabbing one end of it and feeling it in his hands. “It feels like cashmere.”

“Nice, isn’t it? You have to import cashmere.” Alvin smoothed it down against his chest, tugging the end out of Jude’s grip. “No need to choke me—I’ll leave it to you in my will, if you want it so badly.”

“Unless Gaius confiscates it,” said Milla with a smile.

“He can’t do that.”

“It’s evidence in a case.”

“Good luck with that.” Alvin slipped away from Jude. “What’d you get, doc?”

“A knitted cardigan.”

“More cardigans? You must have a dozen by now.” 

Jude felt the itch of a blush crawl up his cheeks. “They’re convenient in the cooler months. And how do you know how many cardigans I have?”

“You’re always wearing a different one when I see you.” Alvin reached over and pinched the material gathered over Jude’s shoulder. “I haven’t seen this one before.”

“It looks very nice on you,” offered Milla. “You have the figure of someone who could wear many styles and look fashionable.”

Jude couldn’t take the compliments and sought a distraction. “Oh, look. I think I see Gaius.” 

He wasn’t mistaken, either. Gaius had stepped out of the building and started listening to the accounts of every one of the townspeople. Some tried to talk at the same time, but he made them form a line. Jude stepped into a slot, purposely separating himself from Alvin and Milla, and waited his turn. 

~*~

Days later, after Jude and the rest of the town surrendered their gifts as evidence, a knock on the door to his office interrupted a sleepy afternoon.

“Prinn?”

“No.” The voice unmistakably belonged to Alvin. 

“Come in.” 

Alvin turned the knob and stepped right in, his other hand full with the same garment box that held the cardigan left on Jude’s doorstep, a paper sack balanced on top of it. He wore his pink scarf.

“Gaius said we could have everything back. Told Presa I’d drop this off for you, and I returned Prinn’s pink pen.”

“Oh, thanks.” Jude shuffled around the mess of paperwork—mainly orders for medicine and equipment necessary to get them through the winter—and a couple of books, clearing a space. “Here.”

Alvin placed the box and bag down on the desk. 

“What’s in the bag?”

“Lunch. Thought you could use something, so I brought back a cheese sandwich and porange sweet bread from the Halure.” 

“Thanks, Alvin.” The gesture seemed rather unnecessary and kind. “Is there something you need?”

Alvin let out a short, startled laugh. “Can’t a guy do the town doc a favor? It’s for all the times you’ve helped my mom. Isla says she made you a pie the other day. Did you ask her what she needed?”

“No, but I’m sure she’s grateful for my help.”

“So am I. You’ve done a lot for my mom.” 

“It’s my job, Alvin.”

“So’s checking up on Isla’s pregnancy or bringing Muzét her pills or all the other stuff you do, but I guess _I’m_ the only one with an ulterior motive.” Despite the accusation, Alvin’s tone seemed more dismissive than wounded. Almost as if he were used to the suspicion he attracted from others. “Anyway, I thought you might be hungry. That’s all. If you must know, I brought Prinn the same thing.”

Any notion that Jude might consider himself special vanished with those words, and he couldn’t place why they hurt. They _shouldn’t_. It was after lunchtime, and Prinn would be just as hungry as anyone else.

“Thank you, Alvin. We appreciate it.” Jude’s mouth smiled mechanically, and he lifted out the sandwich from the bag. “I could use a bite to eat.”

“You seem the type who forgets lunch a lot.”

Jude hated the accuracy of that statement. “I’m busy, and it can be hard to find the time…”

“You’re not busy now, but you haven’t eaten. Get some food. It’s a dreary day.” Alvin lifted a hand and gave a short wave. “See you later, doc.”

With that, he disappeared down the hall, leaving the door to Jude’s office open. Jude stared out after him for a few minutes. For someone Jude spent a lot of time with, Alvin could be a mystery. Someday, Jude hoped to find out what secrets he might be hiding, but how long would it take before he broke past the teasing and the lies and got to know the real Alvin?


	9. Chapter 9

Why did the entire town have to dislike Teepo?

It made sense to Alvin as much as anyone, of course, but what was a man to do when his daughter was begging him to have that bare patch on Teepo’s neck looked at? 

Ivar turned him away. Not even when Alvin offered over a chunk of his savings did the “livestock whisperer” cave. Chickens? Sure. But Ivar explicitly said that unless Teepo’s life was in peril, he would not get near the goat.

Not after that time Teepo bit him, anyway. All other animals adored Ivar. He had that weird personality that somehow charmed even the nastiest swan into letting him mend a broken wing, but when it came to Teepo, the stupid goat only liked Elize.

Which was why Alvin considered it the height of suffering to haul a goat to Jude Mathis’ clinic. Elize would have been able to do it if not for school. But education was important. According to Elize, so was Teepo’s health, and Alvin was to attend to his needs as soon as possible.

Alvin didn’t give Jude any warning. Best not to ask before showing up with the goat. Ask forgiveness instead of permission—what was that old saying, again? Alvin liked to live by that advice. The doc couldn’t refuse Alvin’s stupid request if the goat stood in his lobby, right?

It amazed Alvin how challenging it could be to push and pull a goat into Hamil. Teepo fought him all the way down the lane into town, but as soon as he was offered a chance into a building he didn’t belong, Teepo hurried in with ease. 

Stupid, evil goat.

“You can’t bring that in here.” Prinn, the new nurse helping around the clinic, glared at Teepo. Any credit Alvin might have earned last week for bringing her lunch along with her returned pink pen vanished.

“The doc around?” Alvin made no move to herd his livestock out the door. 

Prinn narrowed her eyes, but she stepped out from behind her desk and hurried down the hallway. A few seconds later, she emerged with Jude in tow. 

“I need you to look at Teepo,” said Alvin.

“I’m a _human_ doctor, Alvin, not a veterinarian.” Despite the statement, Jude appeared rather impressed. “How’d you get him here on your own?”

“Blood, sweat, tears, muscle, and apple slices. Lots of apple slices.” Alvin conveniently left out the part where he cursed the goat and his entire lineage. Fortunately, Teepo was a _fixed_ goat and unable to have any offspring.

Alvin had made damn sure of that before allowing Elize to keep the rotten thing.

“No one else will have a look at him. Ivar, if it’s serious. I don’t think it is. Mange, maybe?”

Behind the counter, Prinn scooted her chair back suddenly.

“Mange?” she repeated.

“There’s not a rash, just a patch of fur and some scraped skin. Best to be cautious, right?” The last thing Alvin needed was a case of mange that could be passed on to anything else. That would make others hate his goat even more. In return, they’d despise him, for allowing his daughter to keep the horrible creature.

Teepo let out a noise of protest and tried to tug away from his lead. Another sliver of dried apple kept him at Alvin’s side. 

“Please, Jude?”

“For Elize, I guess. Can I get near him?”

Alvin chuckled. “Sure, you can try.”

“I’d need to get a sample of the skin from the patch you’re referring to.” Jude disappeared down the hallway for a few minutes. When he came back, it was with a small wooden stick tapered at the end. 

Alvin bend down and held Teepo’s in place, gesturing vaguely at the bald spot. It wasn’t very big, but it could be seen from a bit of distance, and Jude had no problem using the stick to scrap off a little bit of skin and drop it into a petri dish.

“I’ll check this out,” said Jude. “Is that the only spot?”

Alvin hadn’t really checked over the goat, personally. “I think there’s more around the neck, but they’re smaller.”

“Ah, could be mange, then. If it is, I don’t have the medicine to treat it. You’ll have to talk to someone who specializes in livestock.”

“That’d be Ivar. I’m sure as long as he doesn’t have to get near Teepo, he’ll help.” With a little promise that Alvin would try especially hard to keep Teepo on his farm and away from Milla’s. Ivar didn’t respond much to money, but he liked anything that would please his boss.

Alvin sat on one of the chairs, wrestling with a goat to keep him from trying to gnaw on anything in the lobby. Prinn eventually scooted back up to her desk and continued working through papers on it. 

The wait wasn’t horribly painful. When Jude returned, he smiled at Alvin.

“Teepo’s fine. I didn’t see any sign of mites or unhealthy bacteria. He likely just scraped his neck trying to stick it through something.”

Alvin could think of many places Teepo put his head through. Garden fence slats, for a start. 

“That’s good. Thanks, Jude.” As relieved as Alvin was to hear that the goat would be fine, his trip to Jude’s clinic had come to an end. After a minute, he reluctantly started the end of their transaction by pulling out his wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

Jude’s face blanked. 

“How much would you charge if he were human?”

“Uh, two hundred gald.”

“Three hundred—sound about right for making you deal with a goat?” Alvin pulled out the cash and laid it out on the counter. 

They stood there awkwardly for a few minutes until Teepo tried to jump up on one of the lobby chairs. Prinn’s protests finally drove Alvin out the door. 

“You’re nothing but trouble,” grumbled Alvin at Teepo, who was being surprisingly cooperative about heading home. Maybe the stupid animal was hungry? “But you gave me an excuse to go to the clinic.”

Not that Alvin needed an excuse; his mother required a lot of medical care, and Alvin felt bad for seemingly monopolizing on the doctor’s attention. If Alvin were an honest man—which he could be, at times, but he still slipped back into hold habits—Elize had given him another reason to see Jude. Maybe Ivar could have been persuaded. Maybe Alvin could have promised to put up more fencing to prevent Teepo from escaping his property, which would have benefited his neighbors. Everyone would be far more willing to help the goat if he stayed where he belonged. Elize could be given a bright pink lead for Teepo, instead of letting the goat trot behind her and wander off as he pleased.

Alvin had reached the end of the block with a surprisingly cooperative Teepo when he heard his name being called. He pivoted around on the heel of his boot. The rope in his hand tugged as Teepo resisted the stop and tried to continue on home. 

Running down the center of the road, coat flapping behind him, Jude waved an arm. “Alvin!”

“Did I leave something behind?” asked Alvin.

Jude reached him, cheeks flushed. Was it the run or something else? “Uh, I forgot to ask you if your mother’s wheelchair has been delivered now?”

“Not yet.” 

“Oh.”

The disappointment in Jude’s voice roused a need to tease in Alvin. “You don’t need an excuse to talk to me, Doc.” 

Jude frowned. “Isn’t that you? A goat, Alvin? Really?”

“He had a bare patch. You saw it. I’d never desecrate my daughter’s goat by putting it there. There’s no way she’d let me get away with something like that.” Alvin scowled at the goat tugging on the end of the rope. “He squeezes through enough fence posts to cause the damage himself.”

Jude let out a startled laugh. “Yes, he does. But that doesn’t mean bringing him to me.”

“Ivar hates my goat. I think Ivar hates me, too. Not that he’s too fond of you, either—he sees the way you look at Milla.”

The pink in Jude’s cheeks brightens and spread over his whole face, and he smiled bashfully. He swayed a bit as he asked, “Why would you say something like that?”

“You’re obvious.” 

“You like her, too.” 

“Have you seen her?” Heads turned everywhere Milla went. Some in reverence, others in wonder. “How does that work, Doc? We both like Milla, and we both like each other. Only need her to like us back.”

Alvin took delight in making Jude squirm, but he had the feeling he had gone too far when Jude stopped smiling.

“You can’t take anything seriously, can you?” Jude’s eyes shifted down to Teepo. “You’d better get him home before people complain. Later, Alvin.”

With those curt words, Jude turned and headed back for the clinic. He only glanced back once, over his shoulder. Alvin watched him a minute.

“Screwed that up, didn’t I?” 

The goat answered by letting out a displeased “baaaaa!” and tugging harder on his makeshift lead.


End file.
